 "The SRCC college student who played the piano for over 104 hours")
It is just past midnight. Even as Delhi sleeps, one boy sits behind a synth in the auditorium of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), living a dream and trying to break a record.
Mritunjay Sharma, a third year BCom (Honours) student at SRCC, is playing tune after tune as he tries to enter the Guinness World Records for the longest non-stop piano recital.
The digital clock connected to his instrument says there are still fifty more minutes to go.
The digital clock connected to his instrument says there are still fifty more minutes to go.
The Record
Sharma has been playing on his synthesiser since October 11. The current record is that of 104 hours.
He is allowed five minute breaks after every hour, which he can choose to accumulate into larger breaks.
The clock reads a little over 108 hours, but this includes six hours of break. So, he will have to play on till the clock reads 109 hours and 50 minutes.
The clock reads a little over 108 hours, but this includes six hours of break. So, he will have to play on till the clock reads 109 hours and 50 minutes.
The entire performance is being recorded on video, and would be sent to Guinness World Records for evaluation. While Guinness officials haven’t been able to make it to the event, independent observers have been watching over Sharma's performance over the past seven days.
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This is not the first time though that Sharma is making a world record attempt. He achieved something similar in March 2015, when he played on his synth for 52 hours, to enter the Limca Book of records.
The Spirit
Sitting behind a piano and playing endless tunes might sound easy but it requires great determination and training.
Tanshi Ghai, a second-year Economics honours student, from Pannalal Girdharlal Dayanand Anglo Vedic (PGDAV) college, says Sharma has been training for more than a year.
“Since such a long record attempt would not allow him to have proper meals, he has been on a liquid/semi-liquid diet, including dalia and lemon water, over the past one-and-a-half years. In the course of the record attempt he has slept only three hours, relying on two-tablespoon-full of black coffee at regular hours,” she informs.
Tanshi is one of the several students milling around SRCC’s auditorium hall, organising the décor, the food, Sharma’s diet, and coordinating with teachers and staff. These students, mostly handpicked by Sharma, have been the backbone of the ‘7Notes7Days’ event.
Right from Facebook publicity to organising funds, students and few teacher-coordinators have been working on the event for the past two months.
The Support
The event has managed to garner much support from SRCC alumni, Delhi University Vice chancellor Dinesh Singh, and even popular musicians Shaan and Kailash Kher, who expressed their support and blessings for Sharma through video and audio messages on the event’s Facebook page.
Anshu Gupta, CEO of Goonj, and an SRCC alumni has also offered to compile Sharma's tunes in four-parts, so that they can be used for music therapy, for autistic children.
In fact, the very synth on which Sharma is making the record attempt has been gifted to him by the 1964 SRCC batch.
The Encore
Meanwhile, the clock has run its course. It is past one o’clock and the entire hall is on its feet, counting back the last ten seconds, as Sharma plays “We shall overcome”. A loud pop and simultaneous fireworks signal that Sharma has successfully completed his attempt.
Visibly tired, yet jubilant, Sharma thanks the crowd. The attempt, he says, is not over yet as he now plans to extend the record till 155 hours, which will require him to perform till Sunday.
For now, the shy lad, is escorted by his friends to the back stage, where he will take a short rest and some food.
The support keeps coming though. The alumni association offers Sharma a cheque of Rs 1 Lakh, which will be used for the organisation of the event till Sunday. The DU VC, who was present to witness the final moments of the attempt, declares a one-day holiday for the college once the 155 hours attempt has been completed.
The students retire for the night. But they would be back the next day. And so would Sharma.